A loan agreement involving the debtor's own son put up as collateral (VS 1942)
ID: E_1544_0020
Edited and
translated by Manik Bajracharya
Created: 2017-10-12;
Last modified: 2018-06-23
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Abstract
This document formalizes a loan of mohara rupaiyās 24 taken by Bhānidās of Patan. He puts up his own son as collateral.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्री\1स्वस्तिश्रीसम्वत्१९४२सालमितिश्राव़णशुदि७रोज२तद्दीन्येलिषितम्धनिकनाम्•सहर•पाटन्गुइत2ल्तेभ्वस्न्यामुनिधं•वाडा•रिनिक्नाम्निजपाटन्व़ाछुननिवस्न्याभानिदास्लिहलगतचादीकामो
3हररूपैञा२४अक्षेरूपिचौविस्•कर्जालिवावत्मेरोछोराकोवर्तमन्निमितलियाकोईनरूपैञाको
4व्यास्दसौदकाहिसापलेतिरूलांरूपैतिर्नकोभाषायसैसाल्कामंगसिर•मैन्हाभरमाचुक्तिगरि
5बुझाउलाईनरूपैञामध्येधितोमेरोछोरालेषिदिञ्यूसोभाषामारूपैञाचुक्तिगरिवुझाउनसके
6नभन्येसोधितोलेलिदियाकोलेषिदियाकोसाहुकाघरमाल्याईराषनुभनिमेरामनोमानषुसिराजिसंग•तम
7सुकलेषिनिजसाहुलाईदिञ्यूयेसवाटका•साछीकाकाधि•वसिंवाडा•न्हुसिधंवाडा•लेषकसा
8छीसितिदास्मितिसदरशुभ्¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Translation
[1r]
Hail! Written on Monday, the 7th of the bright fortnight of Śrāvaṇa in the [Vikarama] era year 1942 (1885 CE).
[I], the debtor named Bhānidās, resident of Vāchu Nani in Patan, have taken a loan of mohara rupaiyās 24 in silver legal currency (lihalagata), in words twenty-four, from the creditor named Munidhaṃ Bāḍā, resident of Guital Tebh in the city of Patan. The interest on this money, which I have taken for my son's bartaman,1 I will pay at a rate of ten percent. As for the solemn promise to return the money, I will pay it in full by the month of Mārgaśīrṣa of this current year. For the [borrowed] money, I have put up my [own] son as collateral. If I cannot pay the money in full by the promised [date], the collateral shall be taken to the house of the aforementioned creditor. I have written this agreement (tamasuka) willingly, and have handed it over to the creditor.
The witnesses to this deed are: [my] father's younger brother(s) Dhivasiṃ Bāḍā [and] Nhusidhaṃ Bāḍā; and the scribe [and] witness Sitidās. The date is valid. Auspiciousness.
Commentary
This document is an example of how debt bondage functioned in Nepal. Bhānidās had to borrow money for his son's vratabandha ritual, but had nothing other than his own son (probably the same one) to put up as surety for it. Failure to return this money would result in his son becoming a bondservant (Nep. bā̃dhā) in the creditor's house. For more on bondage, see Maske 1996: 32-33 and Regmi 1971: 117-118.